News / NorthLink’s extra Orkney sailings a “direct contradiction” to Shetland service, community councillor says
But NorthLink declined to respond to Stewart Hay’s comments
THE SPEED at which additional NorthLink sailings were introduced between Orkney and the Scottish mainland after the grounding of a rival ferry was a “direct contradiction” to how capacity concerns on the Shetland route are being handled.
That is the view of one Lerwick Community Council member, who raised the issue at a meeting earlier this week.
A spokesperson for Serco NorthLink Ferries, however, said the company would not be commenting on Stewart Hay’s views.
But they said the team would “continue to engage with stakeholders through the recognised committee and channels about matters including the timetable”.
Hay highlighted that capacity on the route between Lerwick and Aberdeen has been an issue for years.
However, the issue reached boiling point around a fortnight ago when – after fog cancelled flights – the boat was just shy of full capacity, with people “competing” for space on the floor to sleep.
Hay’s comments came after a Pentland Ferries ferry, which runs between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, grounded and was taken out of service.
This resulted in the NorthLink Ferries – which itself runs trips between Orkney and Scrabster – putting on additional sailings to help access to the mainland.
But Hay felt this quick response is not reflected in how capacity concerns are addressed on the Lerwick service.
This prompted further discussion around spending an overnight ferry trip without a cabin when the boat is busy – while there were also calls for a ‘couchette’ style bunk system to be introduced instead of NorthLink’s pods or reclining seats.
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